Data print control in an electronic cash register

ABSTRACT

An electronic cash register includes a printer system for printing out a transaction data on a receipt bill or a journal paper. A print preset system is provided for selectively printing out the transaction data. A print inhibition preset key develops a print inhibition command which is stored at the last bit of a memory address of the corresponding transaction data. In a normal registration operation mode, a signal detection circuit functions to detect the print inhibition command stored in the last bit. When the print inhibition command is detected, the signal detection circuit functions to preclude the transaction data stored in the corresponding memory address from being transferred to the printer system.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an electronic cash register and, moreparticularly, to a print control system in an electronic cash register.

The electronic cash register is widely used in various stores andmarkets. The electronic cash register includes a printer system forprinting out a preselected data on a receipt bill or a journal paper.There is a possibility that the data which should be printed out variesin accordance with the scale of the store and the type of business. Tosatisfy this requirement, the electronic cash register is sometimesdesigned for a specific store. This precludes the mass production of theelectronic cash register.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide anelectronic cash register suited for the versatile use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel printcontrol system in an electronic cash register.

Other objects and further scope of applicability of the presentinvention will become apparent from the detailed description givenhereinafter. It should be understood, however, that the detaileddescription and specific examples, while indicating preferredembodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only,since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope ofthe invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from thisdetailed description.

To achieve the above objects, pursuant to an embodiment of the presentinvention, a data print preset system is provided for presetting a printcondition of preselected data information. If the preselected data isdesired not to be printed out on a receipt bill or a journal paper, aprint inhibition signal is introduced through a print inhibition presetkey and stored in a memory at a position corresponding to thepreselected data. In a normal registration operation mode, thepreselected data followed by the print inhibition signal is neverprinted out on the receipt bill or the journal paper.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be better understood from the detaileddescription given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawing which isgiven by way of illustration only, and thus is not limitative of thepresent invention and wherein:

The single FIGURE of the drawing is a block diagram of an embodiment ofa data print control system in an electronic cash register of thepresent invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A data print control system in an electronic cash register of thepresent invention comprises a data print preset system for presettingthe print condition, and a detection circuit for determining the printcondition in a normal registration operation mode. More specifically,the data print control system comprises a central processor unit 5, amain memory 11, a print inhibition preset key 12 for presetting theprint condition, a print inhibition signal generator 13, and a printinhibition signal detection circuit 16. Detailed construction of theprint control system of the present invention will be described inconjunction with a preset mode and a normal registration mode.

(PRESET MODE)

A mode selection key 2 included in function keys 1 is provided forimplementing a preset mode. A preset mode signal derived from the modeselection key 2 is applied to an AND gate 3 to place the AND gate 3 inan operative condition, and is also applied to the central processorunit 5 through a key determination circuit 4 to indicate that theelectronic cash register is in the preset mode. In response to thepreset mode signal derived from the mode selection key 2, the centralprocessor unit 5 selects a preset routine stored in a read only memory6. The read only memory 6 stores various programs related to transactionprocessings.

The main memory 11 includes a number of memory sections for memorizingtransaction information. As shown in the following TABLE I, dateinformation, receipt serial number, machine number, clerk codeinformation and time information are stored in addresses 50 through 55of the main memory 11 in the binary code notation.

                  TABLE I                                                         ______________________________________                                        (MEMORY -11-)                                                                 ADDRESS        INFORMATION STORED                                             ______________________________________                                        50             date                                                           51             receipt serial number                                          52             machine number                                                 53             clerk code                                                     55             time                                                           ______________________________________                                    

The machine number is a fixed number assigned to the electronic cashregister. A time information keeping circuit 18 is provided for updatingthe date information stored in the address 50 through a date buffer 19,and the current time information stored in the address 55 through a timebuffer 20. A counter 21 is associated with a printer system 17 forincrementing the receipt serial number stored in the address 51 uponevery issue of the receipt bill. A clerk code key 22 is included in thefunction keys 1 for introducing the clerk code number into the address53 through the use of numeral keys 7.

The last n bit in the addresses 50 through 55 is assigned to store abinary code signal "1" or "0" which indicates whether the correspondingdata should be printed out on the receipt bill or the journal paper, orthe corresponding data should not be printed out. The following TABLE IIshows an example of the memory condition in the addresses 50 through 55.

                  TABLE II                                                        ______________________________________                                        (MEMORY -11-)                                                                                  BIT                                                          ADDRESS            1 2 3 . . . n                                              ______________________________________                                        50 (date)                  0                                                  51 (receipt serial number) 0                                                  52 (machine number)        1                                                  53 (clerk code)            1                                                  55 (time)                  0                                                  ______________________________________                                    

The memory condition shown in the above TABLE II indicates that the dateinformation, the receipt serial number and the time information shouldbe printed out, and the machine number and the clerk code informationare not required to be printed out. To preset the above discussed printcondition, the address corresponding to the information which is notrequired to be printed out is selected through the use of the numeralkeys 7. Numerals keys 5 and 2 are successively actuated to introducenumeral information "52" into the central processor unit 5 through a keyencoder 8. Then, a print selection key 9 included in the function keys 1is actuated to instruct the central processor unit 6, via the keydetermination circuit 4, that the numeral information is the addressinformation. In response to the actuation of the print selection key 9,the central processor unit 5 selects, in accordance with the programcontrol stored in the read only memory 6, a section d of the address 52in the main memory 11 via an address counter 10. Thereafter, the printinhibition preset key 12 included in the function keys 1 is actuated toenable the print inhibition signal generator 13 via the AND gate 3. Theprint inhibition signal generator 13 develops a high level signal "1"which is introduced into and stored in the section d of the address 52in the main memory 11 via the central processor unit 5 and aninput/output circuit 14. In this way, the print control system is presetnot to print out the machine number stored in the address 52.

The section d of the address 53 in the main memory 11 is also selectedin the same manner as discussed above through the use of the numeralkeys 7 and the print selection key 9. The print inhibition preset key 12is actuated to introduce the information "1" into the section d of theaddress 53 in the main memory 11, whereby the print control system ispreset not to print out the clerk code information stored in the address53.

(NORMAL REGISTRATION MODE)

The mode selection key 2 included in the function keys 1 is alsoprovided to implement a normal registration mode. When a specifictransaction occurs, a unit price value and number or quantityinformation are introduced from the numeral keys 7 into the centralprocessor unit 5 through the key encoder 8. A desired department keyincluded in the function keys 1 is actuated to indicate the relateddepartment. The department signal is introduced into the centralprocessor unit 5 through the key determination circuit 4. The centralprocessor unit 5 functions to select a suitable address in the mainmemory 11 through the address counter 10, in accordance with thedepartment signal derived from the key determination circuit 4, wherebythe transaction data is introduced into a section b of the selectedaddress in the main memory 11 through the input/output circuit 14. Theseoperations are controlled by a program data stored in the read onlymemory 6.

During these operations, the introduced transaction information isdisplayed on a display unit 15. And, a preselected data is printed outon a receipt bill or on a journal paper by the printer system 17. Morespecifically, regarding the information stored in the addresses 50through 55, the print inhibition signal detection circuit 16 monitorsthe last bit of the addresses 50 through 55. If the information "1" isstored at the last bit, the print inhibition signal detection circuit 16functions not to transfer the data stored at the corresponding addresstoward the printer system 17. Accordingly, in the above-mentionedexample, the machine number and the clerk code information are notprinted out on the receipt bill or the journal paper. Remaining data areprinted out on the receipt bill or the journal paper by the printersystem 17.

The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same maybe varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as adeparture from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all suchmodifications are intended to be included within the scope of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A data print control system in an electronic cash register comprising:a printer system for printing said data; memory means having locations defined by a location address, said locations each having a first memory section for storing information data therein and a second memory section for storing a code signal instructing said printing system as to whether a printing operation should or should not be performed with respect to said information data, said memory means locations each including a plurality of said first and second memory sections for storing different types of said information data and corresponding code signals for each of said types, said code signals instructing said printer system whether or not to print information data stored in said memory means at the location address selected by said first key input means; time information generation means for generating date information and time information; said date and time information comprising information data for storage in said first memory section; counter means operatively associated with said printer system for incrementing a receipt serial number stored therein, said receipt serial number comprising information data for storage in said first memory section; means for introducing said information data into the first memory sections of said locations; first key input means for selecting one of said location addresses; control means for addressing the second memory section at said memory location address selected by said first key input means; and print preset key means for introducing a code signal into the second memory section corresponding to said selected location address, said print preset key means developing a high level logic signal when the information data stored in the first memory section at the selected one of said location addresses is not required to be printed, whereby a high level logic code signal is stored in said second memory section associated with said selected location address; detection means for reading said code signals and selectively transferring said types of information data stored in said first memory sections to said printer for printing in accordance with the logic levels of the respective code signals, said detection means functioning to prevent the transferring of said information data stored in the first memory section when the associated second memory section has a high level logic signal stored therein; said first and second memory sections at each location occupying adjacent bits in memory, said second memory section occupying the last bit at each address. 